Bray Wanderers 2
Sligo Rovers 2
Dan Gorman reports from the Carlisle Grounds.
SLIGO ROVERS HAD to come from behind twice to ensure a wholly merited share of the spoils at the Carlisle Grounds.
Aaron Greene and Dylan Connolly twice nudged out-of-sorts Bray Wanderers ahead but a brace from centre-half Michael Leahy dragged the Bit O’Red up a single spot to 10th.
There was a flurry of goals in the opening 15 minutes.
It was a first league start for Ger Pender and he proved his worth after five minutes as he cleverly slipped it through for the on-rushing Aaron Greene who glided into the penalty area and steered a finish past the hapless Micheal Schlingermann.
A loose pass from Kevin Lynch was telegraphed by veteran Raffaele Cretaro who won a corner and that’s when Bray paid the penalty; Liam Martin’s deep in-swinger emphatically dispatched by Mick Leahy.
Bray took four minutes to restore their lead. A clever chip down the right flank saw Brennan break free of the shackles and he centred the ball to Dylan Connolly who timed his run well and hooked it to the net.
Rovers would have finished the evening bottom of the pile had it not been for Leahy’s second. Sadlier escaped down the left flank but his cross was too strong. Cretaro chipped it back and there was centre-half Mick Leahy to nod home his second of the evening.
In stoppage time, Greene missed a point-blank header as Schlingermann came to meet him and then on 93 minutes, amongst a melee of bodies in the penalty area, Sligo managed to hook off the line as Seagulls fans thought they’d stolen victory.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Keith Buckley, Tim Clancy, Conor Kenna, Kevin Lynch (Jason Marks, 80); John Sullivan, Mark Salmon; Ryan Brennan, Aaron Greene, Dylan Connolly; Ger Pender.
Sligo Rovers: Micheal Schlingermann; Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Kyle McFadden, Mick Leahy, Regan Donelon; Gary Boylan (Mikey Place, 40); Jonah Ayunga, Craig Roddan, Liam Martin, Kieran Sadlier; Raffaele Cretaro.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!